What To Watch For in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

(opens in a new tab)Sign InSubscribeF1ScheduleChevron DropdownPrevious 2026 SeasonDriver Standings Team StandingsArchive 1950-2025F1 AwardsNewsChevron DropdownWhat is F1? What is F1 TV?F1 GlossaryGet involved2026 RegulationsNewsVideosUnlockedWhat To Watch For in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand PrixRed Bull drivers surprised by 'better than expected' paceBettingOur five-leg Bet Builder picks for Barcelona GPWhat the teams said – Qualifying in Barcelona-Catalunya Play1:24GHOST CAR: See how close Hamilton came to beating Russell to pole position in Barcelona 1:31ONBOARD: Russell’s 2026 Pirelli Pole Position Award lap at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP Alexander AlbonFernando AlonsoKimi AntonelliOliver BearmanGabriel BortoletoValtteri BottasFranco ColapintoPierre GaslyIsack HadjarLewis HamiltonNico HulkenbergLiam LawsonCharles LeclercArvid LindbladLando NorrisEsteban OconSergio PerezOscar PiastriGeorge RussellCarlos SainzLance StrollMax VerstappenAll Drivers Hall of FameTeamsChevron DropdownAlpineAston MartinAudiCadillacFerrariHaas F1 TeamMcLarenMercedesRacing BullsRed Bull RacingWilliamsAll TeamsFantasy & GamingChevron DropdownF1 Sim RacingFantasyF1 25F1 Manager 24F1 PredictF1 ClashF1 Members' AreaMenuFIA if(window.f1MobileDetection.iOSSafari) { var meta = document.createElement("meta"); meta.name = "apple-itunes-app"; meta.content = "app-id=835022598, app-argument=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-to-watch-for-in-the-barcelona-catalunya-grand-prix.2n28OmANUhMIsnOCSi2Ujn.2n28OmANUhMIsnOCSi2Ujn"; document.head.appendChild(meta); } {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-to-watch-for-in-the-barcelona-catalunya-grand-prix.2n28OmANUhMIsnOCSi2Ujn","url":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-to-watch-for-in-the-barcelona-catalunya-grand-prix.2n28OmANUhMIsnOCSi2Ujn","mainEntityOfPage":"https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/what-to-watch-for-in-the-barcelona-catalunya-grand-prix.2n28OmANUhMIsnOCSi2Ujn","datePublished":"2026-06-13T18:23:02.149Z","dateModified":"2026-06-13T18:23:02.149Z","headline":"What To Watch For in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix: Hamilton vs Mercedes off the line and the tyres feeling the heat","author":"F1","description":"Michael Lamonato picks out five key things to keep an eye on when the lights go out on race day in Spain.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.formula1.com/etc/designs/fom-website/social/f1-default-share.jpg"},"isAccessibleForFree":"false","publisher":{"@type":"SportsOrganization","@id":"https://www.formula1.com#organization","name":"Formula 1","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.formula1.com/etc/designs/fom-website/social/f1-default-share.jpg","width":"480","height":"120"}}}What To Watch For in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand PrixWhat To Watch ForF1 UnlockedBarcelona-CatalunyaShow more tagsSpecial ContributorMichael LamonatoFrom George Russell and Lewis Hamilton duelling off the line to Charles Leclerc attempting to recover from 10th, here are five things to look out for when the lights go out on race day in Barcelona. George Russell is back on pole position, but for the first time this season he isn’t lining up in P1 with team mate Kimi Antonelli by his side. Instead he has the fast-starting Lewis Hamilton alongside him after the Ferrari driver stunned with a final Q3 lap to miss out on pole by just 0.064s. Unlock exclusive F1 content and more with F1 Unlocked. Totally free. Membership gets you closer with: Live like an F1 insider with exclusive access and VIP experiences Member benefits, rewards and offers F1FacebookXInstagramYouTube© 2003-2026 Formula One World Championship Limited